ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · field · ball · nail · stick · bound · wound · hide

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wind — moving air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — for sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — tied together
  19. field — a subject
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. field — farmland
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com